Boxster S 981 - Standard Bi Xenon yet has headlight washer

[Fizzy Duck]

3 minutes ago, daz05 said:

It literally tells you in the advert spec sheet that it's fitted you've just wasted everyone's time 😂 we did enjoy showing off our knowledge though.

 

Where does it say? I spoke to the owner and he mentioned he created that list of options based on the fact he thought the Bi Xenon were an extra on the S as well, so he's under the impression it doesn't have PDLS.

[½cwt]

Just now, Fizzy Duck said:

 

Where does it say? I spoke to the owner and he mentioned he created that list of options based on the fact he thought the Bi Xenon were an extra on the S as well, so he's under the impression it doesn't have PDLS.

Ask him to register on BoXa.net and send £5 to @T911UK for a full factory build listing. 

[Patt]

exactly, and the PDLS+ the larger rings are not silver

[Fizzy Duck]

1 minute ago, ½cwt said:

Ask him to register on BoXa.net and send £5 to @T911UK for a full factory build listing. 

 

I've already got it - I've even spoken to Porsche and they've said that it 100% doesn't have PDLS from factory.

 

It has option code 601 and that's it 🙂 I believe the owner is already on here, and has posted in the thread you mentioned.

[Fizzy Duck]

1 minute ago, Patt said:

exactly, and the PDLS+ the larger rings are not silver

 

Ah that's really interesting.

 

The only conclusion I can come to is that it's been retrofitted.

 

I think the best way forward is for it to be looked at by Porsche.

[Patt]

PDLS are bright than standard , plus do the swivel with steering. 

A few on here have upgraded their S with more powerful bulbs and ballasts.

IIRC Daz even did a youtube video of his.  

I can't remember what was standard or not - too long ago.

[½cwt]

Just now, Fizzy Duck said:

 

I've already got it - I've even spoken to Porsche and they've said that it 100% doesn't have PDLS from factory.

 

It has option code 601 and that's it 🙂 I believe the owner is already on here, and has posted in the thread you mentioned.

So why the query....?  

IIRC, It has also been known for people to repaint some of the light internals for aesthetic reasons.

[Patt]

1 minute ago, Fizzy Duck said:

 

Ah that's really interesting.

 

The only conclusion I can come to is that it's been retrofitted.

 

I think the best way forward is for it to be looked at by Porsche.

Or see if they move side to side when you first turn them on.

[Fizzy Duck]

2 minutes ago, ½cwt said:

So why the query....?  

IIRC, It has also been known for people to repaint some of the light internals for aesthetic reasons.

 

Query because PDLS is a must have on the car for me, and I'm trying to work out if it has been retrofitted

3 minutes ago, Patt said:

PDLS are bright than standard , plus do the swivel with steering. 

A few on here have upgraded their S with more powerful bulbs and ballasts.

IIRC Daz even did a youtube video of his.  

I can't remember what was standard or not - too long ago.

Yeah I've seen some people have done this, but I'm not looking to change out the ballast, as having auto levelling with Xenons is one of the main benefits.

[daz05]

Retrofitting pdls is a big job and probably best part of £3-4k of parts and labour, new headlights (£1k each), new modules x 2 , new stalk for the manual cleaner button (which is apparently fitted), different clock spring, new washer bottle, additional pump, running wiring not to mention hooking up the data lines for steering inputs. New bumper or drill out, all the hoses and electrical connections on the bumper.

Even I wouldn't bother, you just add the 35w bulbs for an easier life. Highly unlikely it's been retrofitted. Get the vin and run a check again, someone is lying to you.

[Fizzy Duck]

1 minute ago, daz05 said:

Retrofitting pdls is a big job and probably best part of £3-4k of parts and labour, new headlights (£1k each), new modules x 2 , new stalk for the manual cleaner button (which is apparently fitted), different clock spring, new washer bottle, additional pump, running wiring not to mention hooking up the data lines for steering inputs. New bumper or drill out, all the hoses and electrical connections on the bumper.

Even I wouldn't bother, you just add the 35w bulbs for an easier life. Highly unlikely it's been retrofitted. Get the vin and run a check again, someone is lying to you.

 

My thought exactly, but why would someone go through the hassle of adding water jets/new stalk just for a ballast upgrade?

 

I've had two separate sources tell me that it doesn't have PDLS (Porsche and the thread on here), so while it could still be incorrect, I'm more inclined to believe it didn't have it at factory.

 

 

I've spoken to a few dealerships locally, and they have said that they have seen cars with PDLS fitted after the fact, as they haven't wanted to change car just to add the option.

 

 

 

I'll keep investigating and I will do my best to keep the thread updated.

[daz05]

 

This thread is not a source to confirm it was not fitted, we can clearly see that it is fitted 'now', washers, gloss black inners and you confirmed the presence of the button. At this point do you care? It has xenon's.

[Fizzy Duck]

1 minute ago, daz05 said:

 

This thread is not a source to confirm it was not fitted, we can clearly see that it is fitted 'now', washers, gloss black inners and you confirmed the presence of the button. At this point do you care? It has xenon's.

 

I do, as it's important for me to understand with complete certainty that it has PDLS, not "it had PDLS headlights fitted" - the system needs to actually function.

 

Bright headlights are irrelevant if they don't have auto levelling. The difference when driving is unbelievable.

 

My current car has the equivalent of PDLS+ with auto high beam, cornering lights and speed-based levelling. My previous car was an S5 with Matrix LED lights. What I'm getting at is lighting is a REALLY important factor for me on a car

 

 

This thread has helped me deduce that it probably has PDLS - this is a great help because at the start I would have written it off as just a bumper replacement. So while it isn't a source to confirm, it has given me a LOT of knowledge I didn't previously possess 😁 Which of course is the entire value of a forum! 😃

[daz05]

Even the basic xenon's have a leveling function it's integral to the unit rather than the sensors the pasm system uses on the suspension arms.

A chap on here showed me that the regular xenon's on the 981 has an electro magnet which pulls the shield at the front up and down as the suspension moves.

Since upgrading mine and the bulbs to Osram they are really good far better than the ones on my Golf R with the pdls equivalent.

[Fizzy Duck]

1 hour ago, daz05 said:

Even the basic xenon's have a leveling function it's integral to the unit rather than the sensors the pasm system uses on the suspension arms.

A chap on here showed me that the regular xenon's on the 981 has an electro magnet which pulls the shield at the front up and down as the suspension moves.

Since upgrading mine and the bulbs to Osram they are really good far better than the ones on my Golf R with the pdls equivalent.

 

Ah interesting, I thought it was a manual levelling system, since I think with a PDLS retrofit you need the sensors on the rear suspension? Or is that only if you're coming from halogen?

[BrianJ]

I had bi-xenon’s on my first 981S and PDLS on the current one. To me, the difference is very significant and one of the reasons for swapping out the first car for the second after 8 years.

[alank]

cant you tell by the lights moving turning on and when steering . Mine  do a little dance before settling down. Perhaps it has them but they are not working.?

[Fizzy Duck]

12 minutes ago, alank said:

cant you tell by the lights moving turning on and when steering . Mine  do a little dance before settling down. Perhaps it has them but they are not working.?

It’s not my car, and I haven’t driven it yet

 

 

But as an update - it looks like the VIN given to me is incorrect. It just happens to have the exact same spec, bar PDLS and colour (which only shows as colour code on the spec report I have, so I didn’t easily spot it)
 

 

I’ve asked the owner to send over the updated on and will see what comes back for it 🙂 

 

Porsche have been great at helping me get to the bottom of this. 

[Jakeb]

Controversially, does PDLS+ actually exist on a 981? I believe that PDLS+ is auto dipping via a camera on the windscreen? 

The three headlight types i have disassembled are

1. Halogen H7 + H9 (Z HSW HAL LV)
2. 601 - 25W Xenon + H9 (Z HSW XEN LV)
3. 603 - 35W Xenon + H7 with swivelling lights (Z HSW AFS LV)

Option 1 & 2 are essentially the same light but with the guts replaced. Option 3 is a different housing completely.

Option 2 is available in both silver and black internals (upper and lower on GT4)

Option 3 has two control units - the ballast and the swivelling control unit which sits on the top of the light. PDLS can be enabled via PIWIS

I think the term PDSL+ gets bounded around by owners when it is actually PDLS. I believe PDLS+ is a 718 thing unless someone knows otherwise (maybe on late GTS?

 

Is your buildsheet from Porsche or vinanalytics.com? These are the only reliable ones as Porsche split the build into Optional equipment and Additional equipment and a lot of the "carparts" lookup dont show the optional section results. Headlight cleaning system is 288.

Removing the light and looking at the code on the side would be the definitive answer. If they swivel and the headlight washers work I wouldn't be too bothered if original or not.

Edited November 21, 2023 by Jakeb

[Carmand]

24 minutes ago, Jakeb said:

Controversially, does PDLS+ actually exist on a 981? I believe that PDLS+ is auto dipping via a camera on the windscreen? 

Yes my 981 Spyder has it - and it does auto dip.

[Jakeb]

umm - 632 is PDLS+ according to 2013 brochure so just answered my own question. It maybe the headlight unit is the same but you need the camera etc

Edited November 21, 2023 by Jakeb

[Patt]

camera is fitted as standard on all models

[Jakeb]

I'm don't believe all cars came with cameras. Looking through pistonheads the majority of cars dont have a camera.

My Cayman doesn't have a camera and looking at the Boxster 981 glass options there are versions of the windscreen specifically for PDLS+

https://www.rosepassion.com/en/diagrams-porsche-boxster-981-2014-eu-boxster-s-cabrio-pdk-gearbox/window-window-seal-and-window-moulding-3911/windscreen-seal-door-window-7222/windscreen-3911-7222-229888-z295044

[Patt]

Soz, I'm thinking of the rain sensor.

[Jakeb]

no probs - just found this pic of a camera windscreen for reference. 

I'm trying to retrofit the oem reversing camera as i bought a bumper with it already fitted. I also bought an "oem" cable from ali express but now need to work out the pinouts! one for another thread!